Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2025
06:01
Semi-Automated Analysis of Peak Amplitude and Latency for Auditory Brainstem Response Waveforms Using R
Published on: December 9, 2022
2.6K
Hearing Loss in Bacterial Meningitis Revisited-Evolution and Recovery.
Elisa Skovgaard Jensen1, Per Cayé-Thomasen2,3, Jacob Bodilsen4
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nordsjællands Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Hillerød, Denmark.
Open Forum Infectious Diseases
|March 7, 2023
Summary
Bacterial meningitis causes significant hearing loss in over 60% of adults, even with treatment. Sensorineural hearing loss from pneumococcal meningitis is often permanent, highlighting the need for early cochlear protection strategies.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Infectious Diseases
- Audiology
Background:
- Bacterial meningitis (ABM) is a known cause of hearing loss and deafness.
- Hearing loss sequelae can lead to social and learning difficulties.
- Timely development of hearing loss and restitution in ABM is poorly understood, particularly in adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the occurrence, magnitude, and development of hearing loss in adults with ABM.
- To utilize otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) for assessing hearing loss.
- To compare hearing outcomes in ABM patients with healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Distortion product OAEs measured in ABM patients at multiple time points: admission, days 2, 3, 5-7, 10-14, and 30-60 days post-discharge.
- Frequencies categorized into low, mid, mid-high, and high ranges.
- Audiometry performed at discharge and 60 days post-discharge.
- Comparison with 158 healthy controls.
Main Results:
- OAEs obtained in 32 ABM patients; 38% had S. pneumoniae meningitis.
- Significantly decreased OAE emission threshold levels (ETLs) observed in ABM patients across all frequencies compared to controls.
- Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) >20 dB present in 57% at discharge and 61% at 60 days post-discharge.
- Hearing recovery diminished after day 3.
Conclusions:
- Over 60% of ABM patients experience hearing loss despite dexamethasone treatment.
- SNHL in S. pneumoniae meningitis is profound and often permanent.
- Suggests a critical window for interventions to preserve cochlear function in ABM.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Auditory Pathway
5.6K
Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking...
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking...
5.6K
01:31Hearing
52.7K
When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.
52.7K
01:13The Cochlea
45.5K
The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.
45.5K
01:16Anatomy of the Ear
8.6K
Auditory sensation, commonly called hearing, involves the transformation of sonic waves into neural impulses facilitated by the structures of the auditory organ. The prominent, flesh-like structure on the side of the head, called the auricle, directs sound waves towards the auditory canal. The auricle is often mislabeled as the pinna, a term more aligned with mobile structures like a feline's external ear. The auditory canal penetrates the cranium via the external auditory meatus of the...
8.6K